Transportation system.



W. U. CARR. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. APPLICATION mum DEC. 1, 190a PatentedDec. 7, 1909.

Attorney,

I FEE WILLIAM G. CARR, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

Application filed December 1, 1908. Serial No. 465,531.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. CARR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Transportation Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to transportation systems and principally to themechanism whereby a car may be reversed and caused to return.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple,durable and positive means for reversing the direction of travel of acar at a predetermined point.

The invention also relates to certain cletails of construction whichwill be fully and clearly hereinafter described reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which an adaptation of the invention isillustrated.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a loop track with a series ofstations arranged at intervals around the loop and a car on said looptrack. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a track andone of its supports also showing a car and reversing mechanism. Fig. 3is an enlarged side elevation of a fragment of a car showing themechanism for actuating the reversing mechanism in the position itassumes when passing through a station without reversing the car. Fig.4c is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 3, showing the mechanism foractuating the reversing mechanism in the position it assumes whenpassing through a station at which it is desired to reverse the car.

In referring to the adaptation of the invention disclosed in thedrawings in detail, like numerals designate like parts.

Referring to Fig. 1, a track arranged in oblong or loop shape is shownas a typical illustration of one form of track in connection with whichthis invention is adapted to be utilized. The track is provided withstations or stopping places located at intervals, which in theadaptation in Fig. 1 are ten in number, and are designated by thenumerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, S, 9 and 10. These stations are located onthe inner rail 11 of the track in the drawing but may be if desiredattached to or supported in proximity to the outer rail 12 or placed inany other convenient and operative position.

The car of which a diagrammatic view Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. *7, 1909.

is shown in Fig. 1, is designated by the numeral 13.

For the purpose of explaining the invention, an ore car is shown towhich the reversing mechanism is attached although the invention issusceptible of use with other types of cars. The ore car as shown indetail in Fig. 2, consists of the flaring body 1 1, a frame 15 on whichthe body is mounted, front and rear axles 16 and 17 journaled independing brackets 18 beneath the frame 15.

Motors are mounted directly on the axles and are operated by electricpower conveyed to them by a trolley mechanism 19 connected to the motorsby wires 20. For a more com prehensive description of this type of carreference is to be had to a companion application, Serial Number4L65,530, filed December 1st, 1908.

The car is reversed in its direction of travel by a reversing mechanismwhich reverses the polarity and is preferably constructed asspecifically illustrated and de scribed in the companion applicationabove noted of even date to which reference is to be had.

This invention relates chiefly to the means whereby the car reversingmechanism may be actuated at any predetermined station to stop andreverse the direction of travel of the car. Said means consists ofmechanism located at each station and mechanism attached to the car andadapted to be actuated by the station mechanism.

The mechanism located at each of the stations is preferably a bent barwhich is supported above the inner rail 11, of the track by fourbrackets 21, 22, 23 and 24; said bent bar consisting of two halfportions 25 and 36 which extend oppositely from a connnon elevatedcentral point 27 and bend down at an angle from the horizontal toincline gradually downward to form individual guiding and liftingsurfaces as shown in Fig. 2. The brackets 22 and 23 are longer than theendbrackets 21 and 24: as shown in Fig. 2 so that the halves of the bentbar will be supported in their inclined position.

The mechanism attached to the car is supported by a plate 28 which isfastened to the side of the car, and consists of a ratchet wheel 29, alever arm 30 having one end supported loosely on the shaft 31 of theratchet wheel and its opposite end having a roller 32 adapted to travelon the top surface of the angular bar, a spring tensioned pawl 33,pivoted to an intermediate portion of the lever arm and adapted toengage the notches 34 of the ratchet wheel and means operated from theratchet wheel.

for operating the reversing mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings the inclosing box 35 of the reversingmechanism is shown together with the rock shaft 36 and the crank arm 37mounted thereon. An angular lever is pivoted to the lower portion of theplate 28 by a pivot 38 which is located approximately vertically beneaththe shaft 31 of the ratchet. The lower and shorter portion 39 of theangular lever below its pivoting point is connected at its lower end toone terminal of a tensioning spring 40, and the opposite end of saidspring is secured to one of the bolts 41 for fasteningthe plate to thecar. The upper portion of the angular lever located above its pivotalpoint is composed of a nearly V shaped intermediate part 42 and astraight end part 43 extending upward from the V shaped part 42. The rod44 is pivoted at one end to the upper termination of the end part 43 andat its opposite end to the crank arm 37 of the reversing mechanism.

The notches 34 of the ratchet wheel 29 are equal in number to thestations or stopping places located along the track and a series ofopenings 45 are formed in the ratchet wheel 29 which are arranged in acircle and at regular distances from each other. These openings 45 areequal in number to the notches 34 of the ratchet wheel and the stationsor stopping places on the track and a pin 46 is adapted to be fitted inany one of the openings. The openings are numbered from one to teninclusive to correspond with the numerals of the stations. A second pawlor lock pawl 47 is arranged opposite or almost opposite the pawl 33 onthe lever arm 30 to absolutely lock the ratchet wheel against backwardmovement and also prevent downward movement of the lever arm 30 carryingthe ratchet wheel with it. The lever arm 30 is returned to its normalposition, shown in Fig. 1, by a spring 48 fastened at one end to theplate 28 and at its other to the lever arm, see Figs. 3 and 4.

The operation of the invention is as follows,-The mechanism is set toactuate the reversing mechanism to reverse the car at a certain stationby fitting the pin 46 in that opening 45 designated by the same numeralas the station at which it is desired to reverse the car. For instance,in the illustration the pin 46 is fitted in the opening 45 designated bythe numeral seven. Now the car when started from the central stationwill successively pass the stations intermediate the central station andstation seven and at each station the roller 32 of the lever arm 30 willtravel on one of the inclined halves of the bent bar and glad-- uallymove the lever arm upward from the position shown in Fig. 4 to theposition shown in Fig. 3 and thereby through the pawl 33 turn theratchet wheel one notch. The ratchet wheel is successively advancednotch by notch as the car passes each station up to the seventh station.As the car leaves the sixth station the pin 46 is in the position shownin Fig. 3 and as the car enters the seventh station the raising of thelever arm 30 turns the ratchet wheel and forces the pin 46 against theV-shaped part 42 thereby moving the angular lever and through theconnecting rod 44, the crank arm 37 and rocking shaft 36 to operate thereversing mechanism to reverse the motor and thereby change thedirection of travel a of the car.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 4

that but one portion of the upward movement of the lever arm 30 isnecessary to bring the pin 46 to the top of the V-shaped part and that afurther movement will carry i the pin over the point and down theopposite side thereby permitting the angular lever and the reversingmechanism to return .0 their normal position. The pin can be set in anyopening so that the point or sta-' tion at which the car willautomatically re- 5 verse itself can be determined in advance.

The great advantage of this invention is that the car can be set toreturn automatically from any station desired before it is started onits journey.

I claim.

1. In a transportation system, a track having a plurality of stations atintervals along the track, a car on said track, means for reversing thedirection of travel of said car, and mechanism including an element inproximity to the track and an element attached to the car and capable ofadjustment relative to the reversing means whereby said reversing meansmay be actuated to reverse the car at any predetermined sta tion.

2. In a transportation system, a track having a plurality of stations atintervals along the track, a car on said track, means for reversing thedirection of travel of said car and mechanism whereby said reversingmeans may be actuated to reverse the car at any predetermined station.

3. In a transportation system, a track having a plurality of stations, acar on said track and means for reversing said car at any predeterminedstation.

4. In a transportation system, a track reversing said car at anypredetermined station.

6. In a transportation system, a track having a plurality of stations, acar on said track and means automatically actuated from a station forreversing said car at any predetermined station.

7. In a transportation system, a track, a car on said track, means forreversing said car and manually set means for actuating said reversingmeans at any predetermined point on said track.

8. In a transportation system, a track, a car on said track, reversingmechanism carried by the car, a ratchet Wheel attached to the car, meanslocated at various points along the track arranged to turn the ratchetwheel, and means whereby the ratchet Wheel will actuate the reversingmechanism at a predetermined point in its rotation.

9. In a transportation system, a track, a car on said track, reversingmechanism attached to said car and actuating mechanism for saidreversing mechanism consisting in part of elements attached to the trackand in part of elements attached to the car; said actuating mechanismbeing capable of adjustment to enable the car to be reversed at anypredetermined point.

10. In a transportation system, a track, a car on said track, reversingmechanism attached to said car and actuating mechanism for saidreversing mechanism consisting in part of elements supported inproximity to the track and in part of elements attached to the car andincluding a ratchet Wheel.

11. In a transportation system, a track, a car on said track, reversingmechanism attached to said car and actuating mechanism for saidreversing mechanism consisting in part of a stationary bar supportedfrom the track and in part of movable elements supported from the carand adapted to be manually adjusted at the beginning of the cars journeyto actuate the reversing mechanism at any predetermined point along thetrack.

12. In a transportation system, a track, a

car on said track, reversing mechanism attached to said car andactuating mechanism for said reversing mechanism consisting of a barsupported in proximity to the track, a Wheel supported from the car, alever arm adapted to travel on the bar and to operate the Wheel, a leveradapted to be actuated by the Wheel and a rod connecting the lever tothe reversing mechanism.

13. In a transportation system, a track, a car on said track, reversingmechanism attached to said car and actuating mechanism for saidreversing mechanism consisting of a bent bar supported in proximity tothe track, a ratchet Wheel supported from the car, a lever arm adaptedto travel on the bent bar and to operate the ratchet Wheel, an angularlever adapted to be actuated by the ratchet Wheel and a rod connectingthe angular lever to the reversing mechanism.

14. In a transportation system, a track having a plurality of stations,a car on said track, reversing mechanism carried by the car, a ratchetWheel having a plurality of notches equal in number to the stations,means located at each station arranged to turn the ratchet Wheel onenotch, and means whereby the ratchet Wheel Will actuate the reversingmechanism at a predetermined point in it's rotation.

15. In a transportation system, a track having a plurality of stations,a car on said track, reversing mechanism carried by the car, a ratchetwheel having a plurality of notches equal in number to the stations, anda plurality of openings also equal in number to the stations, meanslocated at each station arranged to turn the ratchet Wheel one notch, apin arranged to be placed in any one of the openings in the ratchetWheel, and means whereby the ratchet Wheel Will actuate the reversingmechanism at a predetermined point in its rotation.

WILLIAM C. CARR.

